Make a brief recommendation. Include grade level for which the book is appropriate! Share a picture of the cover if possible. Remember, all pictures need to be sized down!
I just finished the book 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher. The book is about a boy named Clay who returns home from school to find a package on his porch. Inside he discovers cassette tapes recorded by a classmate who committed suicide two weeks earlier. Hannah (the classmate) tells him there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of the reasons. This is a very good book that deals with a lot of serious teen issues but is more appropriate for 10-12 graders. This would make an excellent "book club" book as there is a lot to discuss. Again, I can't seem to upload a picture so please click on the link to see more!
Dani
I am in the process of reading The Hunger Games Trilogy. Normally I do not care for books that take place in the future. I can't keep the three copies of each of the books on the shelf because the kids in my middle school are crazy for this book, then my son said they were very good books so I recently downloaded all three to my kindle ($15 for all three) and am almost finished with The Hunger Games. I have to admit the story line does draw one in and I have enjoyed the book thus far. I can see why the kids are reading the books in this series. I would say this book is perfect for middle school and high school age as well as adults who enjoy fiction. The one comment I get from the kids is that they didn't care for the third book in the trilogy, Mockingjay. Donna McCulloch
Truly unique, truly rich!
The Underneath dances between realism and mythology. The story is of an abused hound dog living with an evil man, who himself was hideously abused, and cat and her kittens who come to share "the underneath." The setting is swamp land near the border of Texas and Louisiana, and the creatures who live in this remote underbelly of the US are both real and mythical. There is much love, much evil, much redemption and tension threaded throughout. Highly recommended. Although this is for upper elementary to middle, it probably has as much or more appeal to an older audience. Very sophisticated! Margy
Books for Adults and Kids—Ellen Scott Any bibliophile must read Welsh author Jasper Fforde’s Thursday Next series. Set in a parallel universe where books (especially the classics) are revered, the texts must be monitored by Jurisfiction literary detectives who maintain the integrity of plots and keep rascally characters in line (and in their own novels). Thursday jumps from text to text, chasing villains, monitoring plots, and debating the authenticity of various Shakespearean works. Oh, a warning: cheese, in this universe, is a controlled substance. My “big” readers (9-12, depending on the actual reading and interest level) in high school loved these books, where as some of my reluctant 9th graders enjoyed Fforde’s other series, involving Jack Spratt of the Nursery Crimes division (The Big Over Easy and The Fourth Bear) and his new series, which starts with The Last Dragon Slayer.
Luke Spiering:
There are so many great books out there which made this a tough choice, but I went with Gary Paulsen and his dramatic stories of Brian. These books can be read from grades 4-adult and be enjoyed by all. Probably more by boys, but I feel girls can get a lot of enjoyment from them as well.
Mr. Paulsen has many other great books out there for kids, such as The Transall Saga, The White Fox Chronicles.....the list goes on. These are books that transcend time, at least for me.
Vic Mortimer
First, I want to add an enthusiastic endorsement of Jasper Fforde; I'll look forward to reading his new series. My own recommendation here is one that many of you probably know: Walk Two Moons, by Sharon Creech. I just finished reading it (I'm filling some gaping holes in my YA lit repertoire), and I liked Creech's Love That Dog so much that I thought I'd try the novel.
I'm glad I did, because I got to meet Sal Hiddle, who with her grandparents is headed from Euclid, Ohio on a journey to find her mother, who recently left Sal and her father. In a parallel story, her best friend, Phoebe Winterbottom, also tries to figure out why her own mother has suddenly left home. Creech is a funny writer, especially when it comes to portraying the Sal's grandparents, her increasingly paranoid friend Phoebe, and the budding romance between Sal and a boy named Ben.
The story is by no means all comedy; there is sorrow and loss here. But it is, nevertheless, a joyful book, and I plan to find a way to teach it soon.
Robin Wallace Nygren Hoot by Carl Hiaasen Scat by Carl Hiaasen Flush by Carl Hiaasen
Three of the best young adult/young reader books I have read in a long time are by Carl Hiaasen. They are not a series but they are all the same type of story about kids befriending endangered animals and getting into all sorts of trouble trying to keep their habitats safe. Hoot, Scat and Flush are delightful books that keep you hooked until the very last page. They are great for young readers who like a mystery without too much spooky stuff. I read all three to a young boy with cerbral pasley who I work with and he was cracking up and and engaged the whole time. I really enjoyed them! I wish there were more!
Tabitha Smith-Herron Blood Red Road (Dust Lands #1) by Moira Young This reminds me of Mad Max for teens... Saba is the heroine and fights to get her twin brother back from men who have stolen him. There is something for everyone here (including a touch of romance - Jack is my favorite character!), and I like the way the author writes. The scene where Lugh, the twin, is taken is one I used in my class to teach how symbolism can help us interpret meaning from a text. The writing style is unique, and students might have to adjust to the way the dialogue is written and the dialect spoken, but it is worth it. If you are looking for more books to hand to those kids who liked Hunger Games, this one might suit your needs. The review on goodreads states, it "has a searing pace, a poetically minimal writing style, violent action, and an epic love story." I have already pre-bought the next book in the series (and I never do that)!
Zimny - Cinderella Books Cinder Elly by Frances Minters Egyptian Cinderella by Shirley Climo Korean Cinderella by Shirley Climo Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters by John Steptoe Rough Face Girl by Rafe Martin
I love a Cinderella book. These are like the typical Cinderella books but the tales vary with the culture. Does the good virtue win over the mean stepsisters? I would recommend these books for elementary age students.
BOOKS for KIDS
Make a brief recommendation. Include grade level for which the book is appropriate! Share a picture of the cover if possible. Remember, all pictures need to be sized down!
13 Reasons Why
I just finished the book 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher. The book is about a boy named Clay who returns home from school to find a package on his porch. Inside he discovers cassette tapes recorded by a classmate who committed suicide two weeks earlier. Hannah (the classmate) tells him there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of the reasons. This is a very good book that deals with a lot of serious teen issues but is more appropriate for 10-12 graders. This would make an excellent "book club" book as there is a lot to discuss. Again, I can't seem to upload a picture so please click on the link to see more!
Dani
The Underneath dances between realism and mythology. The story is of an abused hound dog living with an evil man, who himself was hideously abused, and cat and her kittens who come to share "the underneath." The setting is swamp land near the border of Texas and Louisiana, and the creatures who live in this remote underbelly of the US are both real and mythical. There is much love, much evil, much redemption and tension threaded throughout. Highly recommended. Although this is for upper elementary to middle, it probably has as much or more appeal to an older audience. Very sophisticated! Margy
Books for Adults and Kids—Ellen Scott
Any bibliophile must read Welsh author Jasper Fforde’s Thursday Next series. Set in a parallel universe where books (especially the classics) are revered, the texts must be monitored by Jurisfiction literary detectives who maintain the integrity of plots and keep rascally characters in line (and in their own novels). Thursday jumps from text to text, chasing villains, monitoring plots, and debating the authenticity of various Shakespearean works. Oh, a warning: cheese, in this universe, is a controlled substance. My “big” readers (9-12, depending on the actual reading and interest level) in high school loved these books, where as some of my reluctant 9th graders enjoyed Fforde’s other series, involving Jack Spratt of the Nursery Crimes division (The Big Over Easy and The Fourth Bear) and his new series, which starts with The Last Dragon Slayer.
Luke Spiering:
There are so many great books out there which made this a tough choice, but I went with Gary Paulsen and his dramatic stories of Brian. These books can be read from grades 4-adult and be enjoyed by all. Probably more by boys, but I feel girls can get a lot of enjoyment from them as well.
Mr. Paulsen has many other great books out there for kids, such as The Transall Saga, The White Fox Chronicles.....the list goes on. These are books that transcend time, at least for me.
Vic Mortimer
First, I want to add an enthusiastic endorsement of Jasper Fforde; I'll look forward to reading his new series. My own recommendation here is one that many of you probably know: Walk Two Moons, by Sharon Creech. I just finished reading it (I'm filling some gaping holes in my YA lit repertoire), and I liked Creech's Love That Dog so much that I thought I'd try the novel.
I'm glad I did, because I got to meet Sal Hiddle, who with her grandparents is headed from Euclid, Ohio on a journey to find her mother, who recently left Sal and her father. In a parallel story, her best friend, Phoebe Winterbottom, also tries to figure out why her own mother has suddenly left home. Creech is a funny writer, especially when it comes to portraying the Sal's grandparents, her increasingly paranoid friend Phoebe, and the budding romance between Sal and a boy named Ben.
The story is by no means all comedy; there is sorrow and loss here. But it is, nevertheless, a joyful book, and I plan to find a way to teach it soon.
Robin Wallace Nygren
Hoot by Carl Hiaasen
Scat by Carl Hiaasen
Flush by Carl Hiaasen
Three of the best young adult/young reader books I have read in a long time are by Carl Hiaasen. They are not a series but they are all the same type of story about kids befriending endangered animals and getting into all sorts of trouble trying to keep their habitats safe. Hoot, Scat and Flush are delightful books that keep you hooked until the very last page. They are great for young readers who like a mystery without too much spooky stuff. I read all three to a young boy with cerbral pasley who I work with and he was cracking up and and engaged the whole time. I really enjoyed them! I wish there were more!
Tabitha Smith-Herron
Blood Red Road (Dust Lands #1) by Moira Young
This reminds me of Mad Max for teens... Saba is the heroine and fights to get her twin brother back from men who have stolen him. There is something for everyone here (including a touch of romance - Jack is my favorite character!), and I like the way the author writes. The scene where Lugh, the twin, is taken is one I used in my class to teach how symbolism can help us interpret meaning from a text. The writing style is unique, and students might have to adjust to the way the dialogue is written and the dialect spoken, but it is worth it. If you are looking for more books to hand to those kids who liked Hunger Games, this one might suit your needs. The review on goodreads states, it "has a searing pace, a poetically minimal writing style, violent action, and an epic love story." I have already pre-bought the next book in the series (and I never do that)!
Zimny - Cinderella Books
Cinder Elly by Frances Minters
Egyptian Cinderella by Shirley Climo
Korean Cinderella by Shirley Climo
Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters by John Steptoe
Rough Face Girl by Rafe Martin
I love a Cinderella book. These are like the typical Cinderella books but the tales vary with the culture. Does the good virtue win over the mean stepsisters? I would recommend these books for elementary age students.